Egypt continues to strengthen its security relations with the countries of the Nile Basin, most recently with Kenya, with no end in sight of the crisis with Ethiopia over its Nile dam. Kenya’s Minister of Defense Monica Juma announced May 26 the signing of a military cooperation agreement with Egypt, …
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Israeli-Hamas conflict continues to reverberate in US
US backers of Israelis, Palestinians argue their cases. Last month’s 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to reverberate in the United States. The conflict spilled over into US cities and congressional debate, and on Tuesday, a delegation of Republican senators visited Israel to express their support for the Jewish …
Read More »Iran’s Rouhani says problems with US ‘resolved’ in Vienna talks
President Hassan Rouhani said most issues with the United States have been resolved, but he hinted a deal may not happen until after his term ends. Less than two weeks away from the upcoming presidential election, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the problems with the United States regarding the nuclear …
Read More »In first for Israel, Arab party speaks with official voice in coalition talks
Whatever the outcome of tonight’s talks on the composition of a new government, Raam head Mansour Abbas had already made history by openly participating in the negotiations for the change coalition. This article is being penned just hours before the midnight deadline for composing a new government in Israel expires. …
Read More »How Disastrous Would Disconnection From SWIFT Be for Russia?
The April 29 resolution passed by the European Parliament on excluding Russia from the SWIFT international payment system should its troops invade Ukraine may be legally nonbinding, but it did not go unnoticed by the Kremlin. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a potential cutoff was a serious threat, and that …
Read More »Iran Needs the Nuclear Deal to Keep Russia and China at Bay
The United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, declaring the accord’s provisions inadequate and Iran in violation. The administration of former President Donald Trump began reinforcing sanctions, much to the chagrin of the accord’s other signatories; but Iran did not annul it. Rather, Tehran …
Read More »Morocco, Spain trade accusations over Western Sahara
Tensions between Morocco and Spain have escalated, with each side accusing the other of violating good ‘neighborliness’ in a dispute triggered by the Western Sahara territorial issue. Last month, the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta saw an unprecedented influx of migrants crossing from Morocco. That was seen as retaliation …
Read More »Lavrov: India Confirms Commitment to Buying S-400 Systems From Russia
India is firm in its commitment to buy S-400 air defence systems from Russia, and the contracts are being implemented, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. “I would like to point out the implementation of the contracts for the supply of S-400 systems to India. Here we see …
Read More »Department of Defense Releases 2022 Military Intelligence Program Budget Request
The Department of Defense released the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) top line budget request for Fiscal Year 2022. The total is $23.3 billion and is aligned to strategic priorities of the Secretary of Defense. The department determined that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within …
Read More »US Military Says Afghan Pullout Nears Halfway Mark
The U.S. pullout from Afghanistan is speeding up, with military planners saying almost half of U.S. forces and equipment has been sent home or destroyed. U.S. Central Command Tuesday said the withdrawal is “between 30-44%” complete and that six facilities have now been turned over to Afghan security forces, with …
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